The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year. --Mark Twain
How do you think April Fools Day originated? Did some joker in biblicaltimes decide to switch the frankincense and the myrrh? Was there a historicepidemic of spring fever-tomfoolery in a tiny Finnish town in the early1800s? Did a New Yorker in 1910 find a cockroach in his coffee cup anddecide to recreate the experience for his officemate, thereby sparking afamous April 1 lawsuit? In a convincing testimonial to the saying thattruth is stranger than fiction, well tell you the story, or at leastpresent the most viable theory, of how April Fools Day came to be.
Once upon a time, back in 16th-century France, before computers, people celebrated New Years Day on March 25, the advent of spring. It was afestive time. They partied steadily until April 1. In 1564, when the calendar reformed and became Gregorian, King Charles IXproclaimed, perhaps pompously, that New Years Day should be celebrated on January 1 instead of in the spring. Diehard conservatives resisted the change (or perhaps didnt hear about it due to the absence of e-mail) and continued to celebrate New Years from March 25 to April 1. During this period of spring festivity, the more flexible French mocked the rigidrevelers by sending them foolish gifts and invitations to non-existent parties. The victim of an April Fools Day prank was called a poisson davril, or an April fish, because at that time of year, the sun was leaving thezodiacal sign of Pisces. April Fools Day hit its stride (avoiding thebanana peel) in England in the 18th century, and was brought to colonial America by the English, Scottish, and French. No fooling.
To end our special news bulletin, said the voice of the television announcer, were going over to the macaroni fields of Calabria. Macaroni has been grown in this area for over six hundred years. Two of the leading growers, Giuseppe Moldova and Riccardo Brabante, tell me that they have been expecting a splendid crop this year and harvesting has begun earlier than usual. Here you can see two workers who, between them, have just finished cutting three cartloads of golden brown macaroni stalks. The whole village has been working day and night gathering and threshing this years crop before the September rains. On the right, you can see Mrs. Brabante herself. She has been helping her husband for thirty years now. Mrs. Brabante is talking to the manager of the local factory where the crop is processed. This last scene shows you what will happen at the end of the harvest: the famous Calabrian macaroni-eating competition! Signor Fratelli, the present champion, has won it every year since 1991. And that ends our special bulletin for today, Thursday, April lst. Were now going back to the studio.
Unlike most of the other nonfoolish holidays, the history of April Fools Day, sometimes called All Fools Day, is not totally clear. There really wasnt a first April Fools Day that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring.
The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. Prior to that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New Years Day was moved to January 1.
However, communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years. Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1. These backward folk were labeled as fools by the general populace. They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on fools errands or were made the butt of other practical jokes.
This harassment evolved, over time, into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French. April Fools Day thus developed into an international fun fest, so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.
In Scotland, for example, April Fools Day is actually celebrated for two days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body. It is called Taily Day. The origin of the kick me sign can be traced to this observance.
Mexicos counterpart of April Fools Day is actually observed on December 28. Originally, the day was a sad remembrance of the slaughter of the innocent children by King Herod. It eventually evolved into a lighter commemoration involving pranks and trickery.
Pranks performed on April Fools Day range from the simple, (such as saying, Your shoes untied!), to the elaborate. Setting a roommates alarm clock back an hour is a common gag. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, April Fool!
Practical jokes are a common practice on April Fools Day. Sometimes, elaborate practical jokes are played on friends or relatives that last the entire day. The news media even gets involved. For instance, a British short film once shown on April Fools Day was a fairly detailed documentary about spaghetti farmers and how they harvest their crop from the spaghetti trees.
April Fools Day is a for-fun-only observance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their significant other out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. Its simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool!
